Belle Plaine Man Accused of Racially Motivated Assault Outside Bar
A Minnesota man has been indicted on two federal hate crime charges in connection with the assault of a Black man outside a Belle Plaine bar.
Kudla was initially charged with one count of first degree assault in Scott County court back in February.
The indictment, unsealed today in federal court, alleges that on Feb. 3, 2024, 35-year-old Justin Anthony Kudla, of Belle Plaine, used force to injure a man because of the victim's race.
According to prosecutors, Kudla's actions violated federal law against discrimination based on race, color, religion or national origin. The charges include one count of interference with federally protected activities and one count of a hate crime.
The assault happened around 2:12 a.m. on Meridian Street in Belle Plaine, leaving the victim with skull fractures and a critical brain bleed. According to the charging documents, a witness told police Kudla called the victim the N-word and the victim then confronted him outside the bar. Kudla allegedly punched the victim in the face, knocking him unconscious.
Kudla appeared in U.S. District Court today and remains jailed without bail, with a detention hearing scheduled for Thursday. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count and fines of up to $250,000.
> See more of our latest coverage